Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. You know, I sooo struggle between reading a bad book or DNFing. After the first few chapters I had to make the decision to DNF. There was so much swearing right from the get go, the plot was all over the place and the feminism was just not portrayed in a very attractive light.

I took a peek at some of the other reviews and I may be missing something but this was definitely not for me.

DNF’ed at 30%, maybe one day in the distant future when my TBR list is running low I’ll pick it up again. 😉

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

🪄 VenCo by Cherie Dimaline: the title is a play on "Coven" and this is a novel about a witchy road trip from Toronto to New Orleans to find a magical spoon. The concept was great, but the plot was slow-moving and fell a bit flat for me. I loved The Marrow Thieves, so I really wanted to love this one, but it was just okay.

This book was really good. I love books about witches that are written really well and this one was honestly amazing. I definitely recommend it. I love how we got to know the characters as well as a bit of the history surrounding the group but not too much that you are thrown information you forget because it is too much. This was the perfect introduction to the series and I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

#venco was a clear stand out this month despite the restless reading - Thelma and Louise meets Practical Magic with wit and charm and heartbreak and an eclectic cast of characters that had me cackling.

This book was hard for me to get into and unfortunately, I only got approved for it about two days before the archive date and couldn't complete it at that time. Reading it through, the concept was really great and I was hopeful reading this book through! Ended up getting it from the library to complete it but still did not love it when I did finally finish it. Overall, an alright book that I just wanted a bit more from!

What a read this was! It has all the witches stuff you love and this book got it for sure.
Lucky and Stella her grandmother live in Toronto when a stranger comes to offer a job and to come to Salem, Massachusetts and that's when everything comes out!

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

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* Thank you to @netgalley and @penguin for providing a digital copy of VenCo in exchange of a honest review.

Another amazing book by Cherie Dimaline. This one was the perfect Halloween read with just the right amount of magic by some badass witches. Should have pick it up way sooner than that. Highly recommend, and even more if you have read Cherie Dimaline's others books since we follow some of the same caracters.

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Every woman in this story depicts the challenges and prejudices women face daily. Focusing on the power of women when coming together and fighting for each other. We can make a real difference if we take the lead. This book is a shoutout to feminism, and I loved - almost - every moment of it. All the women are so strong by themselves without realizing it, and together, they are a force to be reckoned with. I was rooting for them throughout the book, holding my breath at the end, hoping they would succeed. Because deep down, I know that in the world we live in today, something has completely gone wrong, and it is time for women to stand up and fight for what remains good in this world. This book gives me hope that someday, we will succeed in turning everything around and survive.

This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, as I tried to figure out what the heck was going on along with Lucky. All the witches intrigued me, and I wish I had spent a little bit more time with each of them besides their backstory parts.

Jay Christos made me want to barf every time I was in his POV, but I feel like that was the point.

The ending left me more or less satisfied, but I feel like there's potential for a sequel.

I feel like this is the kind of book that you could read at different ages, and possibly get something different out of it each time.

This is a new to me author. And though I wasn't immediately sucked in, I am intrigued and feel like I'd definitely check out more by them. I did enjoy the writing

I really struggled to get into this book. It’s so surprising because it is everything I want in a book. But the first few chapters were a real struggle for me.

The counterpoint is that the very end of this book impressed me enough that I adjusted my rating up to a 4 star.

After reflecting, however, I really think it should be a 3 star for me. While the cast of characters were interesting, the pacing was off. It felt like nothing was propelling the plot forward. I picked up and put down this book for months because the initial chapters fell a little flat and I had no attachment or interest pursuing the story.

Once I was able to get into it, I found the symbolism to be quite poignant and effective. The storytelling style is non-linear and feels extremely reflective of my understanding of the Indigenous Oral Tradition. The plot essentially providing a landscape for historical and social commentary and doing so effectively.

Unfortunately, it feels like an uphill battle to that point and large number of people may abandon ship along the way.

This book was a heartstoppingly wild read. I felt like the world was so rich and the characters were easy to identify with. This book was excellent!

I've loved all of Cheri Dimaline's work that I've read, and VenCo is included in that! Like her other books, Dimaline built most of the characters and worlds in VenCo well — even though there are a lot of characters. I don't think the Oracle and the structure of VenCo itself were done justice, but that would have made for a longer, slower book.

And, as written, this is a fast-paced book and did not feel like it dragged at all. I hadn't entirely predicted the twisty ending, but I felt all along that this would be a happy ending story — there was not much tension in it. Lovely language, compelling book.

As a Midland resident, I was always going to be soft on Cherie Dimaline. I absolutely love how she creates her worlds, it's like stepping into the bay and feeling a strong current drawing me out into deeper waters.

This book cemented Dimaline as one of my favourite authors and someone who I will buy everything she writes.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is it - my favourite book of 2023. Yes, its only July. Yes, there are many other books coming out this year. DOESN'T MATTER!! This book was incredible. When we come together we can overcome evil. When we come together we can find ourselves and be true to ourselves. When we come together we can do remarkable things. If we happen to hex the patriarchy while doing all this so much the better. This book is perfection.

If there's one thing I am always here for it's a witchy scavenger hunt! While there were some aspects of this that I was not as big on, overall I had fun with VenCo. Some parts were a bit drawn out but I found Lucky to be endearing and loved the female focus of the story!

Read if you like: YA fantasy
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Lucky is a young Metis woman living with her grandmother, Stella. She finds a spoon that is connected to Salem and a coven of witches, which propels her into an unexpected adventure.
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This book was really fun and interesting. I loved Lucky and her journey in this book. Stella was also a great grandmother figure who is going through her own struggles that she and Lucky need to figure out together. Overall an enjoyable book!

When I saw VenCo by Cherie Dimaline about to be released I knew I had to read it.

This story has a little bit of everything - witches, magic, mystery and intrigue. Lucky St. James is the daughter of a Metis woman who likes to have a good time. Lucky was working hard to keep herself and her grandmother in their apartment, but when they were about to become evicted that's when the real adventure started.

This book had so many different avenues that I had to keep reading to find out if the coven would ever be completed.

Need a little magic and witches in your life? Then you should definitely read VenCo!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I love Dimaline's work and this story had many elements that meant a lot to me.